Blend Inn is the follow up to Hockey Dad’s critically acclaimed 2016 debut Boronia. Where Boronia celebrated the long days of summers past and the sublime naivety of youth, Blend Inn is Zach Stephenson and Billy Fleming coming to us with more perspective after relentless touring took them far from the streets and waves of their hometown of Windang, NSW. The album title emerges as a response to that lived experience. “Blend Inn is the part of your head that you want to go to when you’re overseas and wishing you were back home, it’s within” says Fleming “We’re always just trying to be comfortable and semi blending in, so it’s the name we gave to that place you zone out to.”

Landing in Seattle, the recording of Blend Inn began with renowned audio engineer and producer John Goodmanson (Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, Cloud Nothings, Death Cab for Cutie) at Robert Lang Studios. The studios, supposedly haunted, echo with their iconic past – housing many of rock’s legends over its time including Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and most notably, Nirvana, who recorded their last song there.

The album is Hockey Dad’s boldest output to date, a natural progression for the two as they face the tribulations of young adulthood, a theme reflected across the record. “Homely Feeling” emerges as an ode to their roots; “In a way the lyrics of this song reflect on trying to find that “Homely” feeling all the time, for when you're surrounded by heaps of people and kinda freaking out and just wanna be back home.”

“I Wanna Be Everybody” pines for the feeling of normality – speaking of social anxiety, “Join The Club” relays the struggle for self-identity in the face of societal expectation, whilst lighter moments like “Sweet Release” see the duo experiment , showcasing Fleming on vocals for the first time.